Hestercombe Humdinger

Last Sunday, Honiton Running Club’s Nick Bradley-Carter and Olivia Higginson ran in Running Forever Running Club’s 9 ½ mile Hestercombe Humdinger. This is a very hilly road race incorporating almost 1500 feet of total climb. The course is a figure of eight which starts and finishes at Hestercombe Gardens, near Taunton. The route takes runners up to the top of the Quantock Hills before returning to Hestercombe ready for the second loop which takes runners to Kingston-St-Mary and then up the infamous Humdinger Hill! Neither Nick nor Olivia were feeling on top form and with it being their first race this year they didn’t have high expectations. Nevertheless, they were both pleased with the results. Nick came 155th in 1 hour 27 minutes and 22 seconds and Olivia finished 176th in 1:32:05. There were 216 runners and the race was won by Luke Scott of Taunton AC in 52:19. Alongside the Humdinger is the shorter Hurtle which is the first loop of the Humdinger. A friend of Nick’s, Jimmy Pan from Shanghai, ran in this race finishing in a time of 35:11 and 80th place. He has only started running recently and this was his first 5K race.